The Path to Her Heart
by Kachowbarator
Summary: As Lightning and Sally leave Wheel Well on their way to Flo’s, Lightning takes time to contemplate his newfound feelings for Sally. He’s worried about kissing her, but little does he know he has a surprise in store at Flo’s, and a little revelation. OneShot. SalQueen. FLUFF WARNING. You have been warned.


**Hello SalQueen fans!!! Here with another one shot I started writing at 10 pm and it's going on 1am and I just got done! I gave myself a challenge to write Lightning's thoughts right after they sped off from the Wheel Well at the end of the first Cars. Nothing planned in advance, and I'm quite pleased with the result. I almost cried the fluff was so cute. So if you don't like fluff don't read! I'm so excited to be writing more SalQueen stories as I feel we never have enough of them! (I think I said that last time?) Anyways on to the story. RR,** **fave, and follow if you enjoyed!**

The wind whooshed around the slick, red corvette as he winded his way through the rocky scenery of Arizona. He sighed in pleasure as they passed the sparkling, blue waterfall. The mist delicately fell on his newly polished hood. But he didn't focus his attention on the scenery for long today.

Instead he focused his attention on the silvery, blue Porsche just feet away in front of him. Her beauty entranced him. But it was more than her beauty that attracted him to her. She was a challenge to the famous race car. She was different than the other girls, but in ways he couldn't quite put a tire on.

For one, she wasn't a fan. Before Lightning had crashed into the little town of Radiator Springs, she had never heard of his name. In fact, she had never even seen him race. Although it was a cute town full of generous cars and now exciting tourism, the place wasn't exactly up to date. He noticed that Lizzie had set up an old analog T.V. by Flo's, which she stated they watched the race on. He wasn't even sure if the screen was in color.

Of course Sally was a fan now, but a different type of fan. She wasn't the girls who bought every single 95 antenna ball, bumper sticker, hubcap, poster, you name it. She wasn't the cheerleader cars who snuck into Mack's trailer with him at night after a race. The ones who only cared about the bragging rights they earned. She didn't care about who he was to the world. Sally cared about who he was to her. She was a fan of the new Lightning, the race car who understood winning wasn't the point in life. That slowing down and enjoying life's moments that bring you to the blessings matter more.

And being a supportive, genuine car wasn't the only feature that contrasted Sally with the girls Lightning had dealt with in his past.

As he reveled in these thoughts, he focused on the reflection of himself in Sally's rear view mirrors. He could see her eyes flick to the side to check on her mirrors. He noticed her cheeks rise, indicating that she was smiling. Lightning smiled back, this time with no mud plastered on his front teeth. Sally's eyes sparkled with happiness.

That was another thing about Sally. Sometimes you could tell she was excited by her voice and giddiness it held, especially when there were customers in town. The happiest he ever saw Sally was during the heyday party after Radiator Springs fixed their neon. He could still remember the emotions he felt when her fender touched his. In the courtroom, he had told Sally that "sometimes he creates feelings in others that they themselves don't understand." In reality, it was Sally that did that to him sometimes.

Other times it was harder to gauge her reaction to him at times. She had this mysterious vibe to her. Nonetheless, it was her eyes that always gave it away.

She wasn't all over him in the ways the cheerleaders had been. Or the fans. Especially the Miata twins. Sally took things slowly, which Lightning appreciated. The mystery, the chase, kept him going. He always wanted to know more and more.

Yet Lightning still fought the urge to hold back. He was accustomed to life in the fast lane, never sure if he was moving too fast or too slow for her. In reality, it all felt so fast. He was supposed to be slowing down for once, but the events of the past week felt like a blur.

The newness of it all was fading away as time went by, but this little feeling wasn't. It was here to stay.

When Lightning gazed into Sally's eyes, he felt a surge of excitement, his engine purring in a new way. The feeling wasn't lust, he knew. The sensation of floating on a cloud struck him. Maybe that's why cars refer to love as cloud nine.

Back at the wheel well, Lightning definitely felt like a cloud. And it was floating higher and higher as he inched closer and closer to Sally's. . . lips.

 _Her lips_.

That's when he felt everything was a blur, zooming by him much too quickly. A thousand thoughts entered his mind, but Mater saved the day as he rose into view in the Dinoco helicopter. He could save his thoughts for the road, which was now.

He wanted to kiss her, but for his past self, a kiss always signaled one step closer to the end. All he ever had was affairs. This, a real relationship, standing right in front of him caused Lightning's axels to quiver. For once, he truly wanted a girl for more than just a hookup. This was his one shot and he had to make it perfect. He had to look for the right moment. A moment that made Sally smile, her eyes sparkle, and her eyes weld the happy tears that brought the two closer together at heart.

But he was afraid of embarrassment. What if she decided this wasn't for her? What if it was too soon? What if his mind was making all of this up? What if he messed up in the act?

 _Oh stop it you!_ The little conscience in Lightning's head said. _You can do it! Don't be so hard on yourself!_

After all Lightning can do anything, right?

All too soon, the corvette and the Porsche were rolling into Flo's V-8 café. Lightning had not even paid attention to the little race Sally had challenged him to. He was too deep in thought.

"I won Stickers!" She broke his thoughts. "Better get ready to order!"

Lightning chuckled, "You know I was gonna pay no matter who won, Sal." He revved his engine and reversed into the spot behind him. Sally drove around to face him, her pupils dilated and her mouth parted, and her eyebrows raised ever slightly. He was peeking her interest again.

Sally backed into the pump parallel to his, just as one of the Miatas cruised over. At the last minute, Flo slid in front of her, signaling she would take care of the order. The red convertible took the hint.

"Well would ya looka here! The two lovebirds are back at it again! Can I get you two somethin to drink? It's on the house!"

Sally giggled. "Oh goodness Flo, you don't have to. Though Stickers here I'm sure wouldn't mind." She slid him a sly look. She was teasing him.

Oh yes, she was flirting with him.

"I can't say I don't," he played along. "I will take the star 500, Flo. And how about this smokin' hot lawyer next to me? What would you like to drink?"

Sally gave him that expression again. The one that told him she was curious and enjoying the banter. She laughed and rolled her eyes at the same time.

"I'll take a peach fuzz," Sally told Flo. Lightning whistled.

"Yeeaaah baby." Sally laughed again.

If anything hadn't changed, it was that Lightning loved a good flirt session, especially with Sally. It was like a competition. Sally might not be a racer, but she sure did win in their playful banters. She could catch him by surprise.

Which is definitely what she did that day.

Flo slid their drinks over to them, Lightning delving right in, while Sally drove over to the window to pick up a napkin.

Suddenly, Lightning felt a sensation he did not want to experience.

"HIC!" a hiccup escaped from his throat. _Aw shucks. That's just great._

That was the last thing he needed on his first official date with Sally. He chugged down some of his drink. It still didn't help, and the hiccups were getting stronger.

A few of the cars at Flo's began to take notice. He hoped it would take a really long time for Sally to find that napkin.

"Anybody know a cure for hiccups?" Flo yelled out.

He hoped the napkins had to be pulled from the back stock.

Luigi popped up from behind him, Guido on his tail. Luigi motioned something to Guido, who nodded. He lift his forklift, facing McQueen and took in huge gulp of air and held it, muttering something in Italian.

 _He wants me to hold my breath to stop the hiccups._

"Oh, okay Guido I'll give it a try." He breathed in deeply and held it for what seemed eternity, before spewing the air back out and breathing heavily. Guido had already fainted.

"Buddy you didn't need to do it with me!" Lightning said to the unconscious forklift. Just then, a hiccup occurred. "Ugh."

The hippie bus passed over a suspicious looking, rusty can with a straw. Lightning was beginning to become annoyed. Fillmore described it as some type of good for nature fuel, the rest of the information complete jargon to Lightning.

"Well what's in it?" he finally asked. The corvette was still skeptical of Fillmores creations.

As Fillmore rattled off some ingredients, Lightning simply rolled his eyes and took a sip. Immediately he knew that was a mistake. His throat burned and he nearly backfired from the spicy, hot taste. And it didn't help his hiccuping either.

Suddenly he was being sprayed with water by Red, the fire truck. Lightning tried his best not to choke as streams of water were shot onto his hood and into his mouth.

As he recovered from the shock, he saw his best friend Mater swerve into Flo's. As much as he loved the rusty old tow truck, this could not be good. This was the worst possible time for him to arrive.

"Well shoot, you need ta hang upside down, spin around a few times, while ya touch yer tongue to ya hood!"

All too fast his tow cable swung up on a ladder, and whammed into Lightning's undercarriage, whisking him into the air. Everything became a blur again as he spun around and around and more water was shot in his face. He barely lifted one eyelid, just in time to see a blur of baby blue in the corner of his eye. His engine jolted down in his hood.

If only she needed a straw too.

Lightning felt he was always getting caught in a hassle. Lucky for him, the hotness rising in his cheeks wasn't visible through his red, metallic paint.

Left and right he was getting embarrassed in front of Sally, whether it was crashing into a bundle of cactuses, making a fool of himself at the Cozy Cone with his sloppy language, or tearing up a whole road while everyone laughed at him.

Sally was talking below. "Oh, look at this mess," he heard her whisper. Lightning cringed. He definitely made a fool of himself today. His dream of kissing Sally was far away now. The window was gone.

"Mater, put him down." Sally said.

Lightning fell with a thud onto the pavement. He winced from the tingling pain that shot up his axles. He felt Sally pull up close to him.

 _Very_ close to him.

"I've got this."

Before he even knew what was happening, Lightening felt the soft wetness of Sally's lips on his left cheek. The world was still spinning and he couldn't focus, prompting him to close his eyes for a moment. The world slowed down to a stop. Then Sally pulled away. Lightning looked like a love struck puppy.

He looked to see Sally, her eyelids still have closed, smiling with a soft expression on her face. If there was a facial expression that embodied love this was it. And his hiccups were gone too.

Because everyone was staring, Lightning backed away out of Flo's, motioning for Sally to follow. Out of everyone's view, the two cars just stopped and gazed at each other.

"I'm glad you, um, like kissing, you know… really stupid race cars." He finally said.

"Aw Stickers, don't be so hard on yourself!" She nudged his fender. "Everyone has their embarrassing moments." Sally quickly blinked and looked at the floor and started rambling. She did that when she was nervous. "I mean, you know I backed into a bunch of cones you know, completely embarrassed myself over that tattoo. Really stumbled over my words trying to offer you a stay in the cones. Thought I definitely blew it with you race car types."

Lightning looked up at her and chuckled. "I guess you're right Sal. Heck, Im still here. You didn't turn me off yet. It's cute."

"Well, you know I create great feelings in others that they themselves don't understand." She said, clearly mocking him for the fun of it.

Lightning gazed down at Sally as she cuddled up to his side. Then he looked up at the golden sunset stretched out in front of them. He looked at Sally again, the sunset reflecting off of her blue paint. He gazed at her glossy, round lips, but then he looked back at the sky.

Maybe he didn't get to kiss her lips just yet, but he definitely received a handful of surprises for the day. He could still feel the way her lips touched his cool cheeks.

After all, he wanted to take things a little bit at a time. Today wasn't too fast or too slow. It was just right.

As the sun set below the red mountains of the Arizona plains, he watched Sally take in the beauty of the landscape. He pictured her smiling up at the Wheel Well earlier in the day. Her first love was Radiator Springs, and the very landscape she broke down in those years ago. He thought about her joy in telling him the towns story, her happiness on their drives, her expression when the road was finally paved again, and her eyes lit up by the rows of neon. A silly old kiss wasn't going to make her fall for him more. The way to her heart was through this town.

And that's why he loved Sally.

 **Omg I had to get Kleenex's. I did. A whole box. And you might too. I am floored by how amazing my brain is at 1am! Peace out till next time!**


End file.
